KATY, Texas, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Heyltex
Corporation is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Radiogardase®
(Prussian Blue insoluble capsules), the only FDA-approved drug to
treat people who have been internally contaminated with radioactive
cesium (Cs-137), which is manufactured by Heyl chem. pharm. Fabrik
Berlin GmbH in Germany.
Radiogardase® traps radioactive cesium and thallium in the
intestines and keeps them from being re-absorbed by the body. Once
Cs-137 has entered the body, it goes through a long rotation of
re-absorption within the circulatory system. The ingested Cs-137 is
reabsorbed almost completely from the gastrointestinal tract, and,
via the bloodstream, is transported to the liver where it enters
the gall bladder and is finally returned to the intestine. From the
intestine, around 90% is again reabsorbed into the bloodstream and
the enterohepatic circulation starts anew. Radiogardase®
interrupts this enterohepatic absorption of Cs-137 by knocking this
cyclic path out of the gastrointestinal tract and sending it out
through the feces.
Heyl chem. pharm. Fabrik GmbH is stepping up production of
Radiogardase® to help relieve domestic and global demand.
During nuclear incidents, such as the ongoing emergency at the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Facility, radioactive material can
escape from fuel rods because of heating and consequent cracks in
the metal rods. A break in the containment structure, because of
explosions or damage from other causes, can permit the radioactive
material such as Cs-137 to escape to the environment. The released
radioactive material can be inhaled, swallowed with contaminated
food or water, or enter the body through open wounds.
Drugs that help to remove this radioactive material from the
body are called decorporation drugs. Perhaps best known to the
general public is potassium iodide (chemically abbreviated KI).
This drug helps keep radioactive iodine f
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